Is a GREAT turntable under $2000 possible???

Budget version of PD-444 is the PD-441 by Luxman, which you can find for 2k with nice tonearm and cartridge. It’s direct drive turntabel in aluminum plinth (heavy). This little PD-441 is eye candy, classic 70s style, the motor made by legendary Micro Seiki, so the quality is top notch. If you can find it without tonearm it can be under 1k, then you can add tonearm. My PD-444 is much bigger and i prefer it to the Technics SP-10mkII. Tonearms on my PD-444 are under $750 each (Victor UA-7045 and Luxman TA-1 with removable armwand). Great combination for MM cartridges. I've been using Grace F14 and Stanton CS-100 WOS on those arms as you can see on the picture. I’m sure the PD-441 with some classic tonearm is a great start, actually it will be a great analog rig. Good luck!

@knollbrent

I’m thinking the Lehman black cube statement and the Orotfon Quintet Bronze Cartridge will pair nicely.

Why do you think so? Just because someone use it ?

JLTi phono stage from Australia is amazing, with this phono stage you can try different loading with MM and MC cartridges.

If you’re looking for a new cartridges i would recommend to try Garrott P77i MM, if you need a LOMC and your phono stage is very good then look for the Audio-Technica.

Vintage cartridges like the AT-ML170, Grace F14, Stanton CS-100 WOS, Glanz MF-61, Pioneer PC-1000mkII are superior to the most of the modern LOMC and definitely much better than modern MM.

P.S. you need step-down transformer for japanese electronics, they are on ebay, Super SD-30 (30w) is what i've been using for my SP-10mkII before i bought 1000w step-down trans to connect everything. 

@wspohn @alanholvey 

the OP already purchased new Technics SL1200GR 

I’m currently looking for the Zu modded Denon 103 for my cartridge but Zu is sold out.

I use Zu Audio speakers and cables, but if you want to put Zu Audio Denon 103 on your technics stock tonearm it will be a mismatch. You’d better look at what Zu Audio used for their Zu DL-103 HERE It’s Audiomods tonearm from UK on ZU Technics SL1210. You need high mass tonearm for any versions of Denon 103, the effective mass of the stock Technics tonearm is too low for such a low compliance cartridge like Denon. That’s why Audiomods tonearm was chosen by Zu Audio for ZU DL-103

About tonearm/cartridge matching: https://www.ortofon.com/support/support-hifi/resonance-frequency

@knollbrent 

A couple MC’s and MM’s would be nice to have regardless.

This is the answer to your question. You have a nice tunrtable, but i have no idea about the "sound" of your system and all those mentioned components, but i know for sure that different cartridges is what each of us should try. Since you already have a modern cartridge, you have to check the vintage classics to understand why that classics is so highly regarded today. For you Technics tonearm you need a mid of high compliance cartridges, definitely not low compliance. The compliance figure must be about 15cu @100Hz (Japanese system) or 30cu @10Hz (Rest of the world). Actually Japanese 15cu (measured at 100Hz) is equal to 30cu (measured at 10Hz in the rest of the world).

Some cartridges that most likely can blow you away are as follows: Victor X-1II, AT-ML170, Stanton SC-100 WOS and probably the Grace F9E (or higher). They are all Moving Magnet and works fine with your arm and phono stage. If you need help to find any of them let me know in PM, i have some spares.  

Recently i have checked Dynavector KARAT 23RS MR on Technics toneam/turntable and i was very impressed! I would recommend KARAT with its short Ruby cantilever for your tonearm/turntable. My JLTi phono stage was nice for this cartridge, loaded at 220 Ohm in my system. For more info about Dyna you can check my thread:     https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/dynavector-cartridges-old-and-new